Zootopia: Against All Odds
by Osiris28840
Summary: Semi-AU. Nick Wilde is the first Fox Mayor of Zootopia. He was able to make his career a success, against all odds. What will happen when a scandal threatens to make all of that fall apart? (Rated M for later chapters, and suggestive themes.) [On Hiatus until further notice. I simply have no inspiration to write this story, hopefully that'll change soon.]
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone. This is my first fan fiction, but I have some other writing experience. Please, if I've made any mistakes, errors, or if you have any constructive criticism, please don't hesitate to comment, or to PM me. I have already begun work on the next chapter, and will release it when it is done. I plan on making the story about 15-20 chapters, I hope you like it. The story is somewhat AU, in that Nick Wilde is Mayor of Zootopia, not a small time hustler. This leads to a few changes in the plot of the movie, and as such, some content is taken from the film. This is not meant to be plagiarism, but rather a transformation of the original content.

Also, I don't own Zootopia, or any of the characters in this story. (Except the few original characters, I guess? Not that it matters, they aren't even that important...)

Anyway, on to the story.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

"As mayor of Zootopia, I am proud to announce that my Mammal Inclusion Initiative, which is a cause very dear to my heart, has produced its first police academy graduate. Valedictorian of her class, and the ZPD's very first rabbit officer, Judy Hopps. Everyone said that no rabbit could be a police officer. But I knew otherwise. When I ran for mayor, many said that a Fox could never be a leader, could never be trustworthy, could never be elected. But I , like Judy, refused to back down, refused to give up, refused to prove them right. Instead, I, like Judy here, proved everyone wrong. Because of that, I am glad that the first Police Academy graduate, like me, is a mammal that withstood adversity at every turn, and fought speciesism, bigotry, and discrimination at every turn. Because of that, I am proud to give Officer Judy Hopps her badge. Finally, because of that, I am proud to announce that Officer Hopps will be assigned to ZPD Precinct One, City Center," said the red fox on the stage, occasionally scanning the crowd, but mostly looking at Judy.

Judy watched him speak, thoughts swirling. _A fox is mayor?_ This was surprising to her on several levels. She thought that the mayor was a lion named Leodore Lionheart. _Why didn't I know that already?_ In fact, she didn't even know this mammal's name. _Why haven't I heard of him?_ She looked closer at him to see if she recognised anything. He was a red fox, with emerald green eyes. He was wearing a dark green three piece suit, made of thick wool that looked very soft to Judy. Underneath, he had a white shirt and a dark red paisley tie. _How does he look so good in that suit? WHAT? Why did I just think that? He's a fox. I'm a rabbit. I shouldn't think of him as attractive. Oh god. What is wrong with me? Why? Why? Why? Why?Wh-_

"Officer Hopps?" said the fox, looking at her confused, his head tilted slightly to the right. "Are you going to come up here for your badge?"

"OH! Sorry! I got lost in thought, my bad," she said as she walked up the stairs to the stage. She heard a few of her classmates chuckle, and saw the Mayor's expression change to a smirk. She blushed a bit, hoping he wouldn't notice. She kept walking, and walked up to the mayor.

"Congratulations, Officer Hopps. I'm glad you're the first academy graduate since the Mammal Inclusion Initiative. I look forward to seeing your progression through the ZPD. I will be watching with… great interest," he said as he pinned on her badge. As he finished and she was about to walk away, she made eye contact, and he winked.

 _What was that?_ she thought as she walked past him. _Is he interested in me too? Wait. "Too"? I'm not interested in him! Am I? No. No way. Well, maybe a little… NO. Shut Up!_ her mind was racing, she couldn't believe she was having these thoughts, and about a fox no less. She was open-minded, especially for a rabbit from Bunny Burrow, but not _that_ open-minded.

* * *

Several hours later, the mayor sat in his oversized office, his feet up on his imposing mahogany desk, looking out on his city, thinking.

 _Hopps. Judy Hopps. Judith Laverne Hopps. A bunny. And a cop. Why, why was I so drawn to her during that speech? IS it just our similar paths? No, it can't be. I'm not drawn to others like that._ He tried to remember the speech, but all he could think about was those two violet orbs, looking back at him. _Her Eyes? Am I drawn to her eyes? Why? It doesn't make any sense…_

"Mayor Wilde, Madam Nikula is here," said Assistant Mayor Bellwether. "she asked if you were ready for the charity dinner?"

 _Ugh. Nikula._ Thought the mayor. _Why do I have to do this?_

 _Because,_ Thought another part of his brain. _The people need to think you're in a relationship, or they won't trust you as much. And if they ever found out about your… proclivities, your career would be over._

Nikula Viviankoff walked into the office. The mayor looked at her, taking in her appearance. She was an arctic fox, a bit smaller than him, with steely, bluish-grey fur and icy blue eyes. She wore a long, conservative black dress, with white gloves up to her elbows, and heels. She was obviously an attractive vixen, but the Mayor was completely disinterested. Of course, he couldn't let anyone else know that. He fixed a smirk on his face, stood up, and walked over to her.

"Hello, my beloved. How was your day?" He asked her, seemingly excited to see her and truly interested in her day.

"Oh, Nicky, day was wonderful! I swear, so many nice people at store, I am not knowing why. Maybe it is they recognize me, I am on news few days ago with my Nicky." She said, with broken English and a very thick eastern European accent.

 _God her speech is annoying. But alas, I must resign myself to this if I want reelection…_

"Let us go Nicky, please, I want be at dinner on the time."

"Alright. Just let me tie this bow tie," said Nick as he walked over to the mirror. He tied his bow tie and began walking out, locking arms with Nikula. They walked to the elevator, and then out of City Hall to the SUV waiting out front for them.

* * *

Judy lay on her rickety bed at the Grand Pangolin arms, looking up at the ceiling. She was brimming with excitement. Tomorrow was her first day at the ZPD. She couldn't wait to show everyone how great a cop she could be. She definitely would not be falling asleep anytime soon if she kept thinking about this.

 _So think of something else. Like what? Hmm… Carrot farming? Boring. Boring is good, you are trying to fall asleep, after all. The five major types of carrots are Ball, Chantenay, Danvers, Nantes, and Imperator. Start planting three weeks before first frost and then again every two weeks after that for seventy to ninety days…_

Judy was out like a light.

* * *

"Hello, Mr. Chanta. How are you?" said Nick, shaking the Bengal Tiger's paw.

"I am very well, Mr. Mayor. I am glad that I donated to your campaign. I may soon choose to cash in a few favors," he replied. _Why must they always expect favors?_

"Of course, Mr. Chanta." Nick stated as he walked away, toward a group of wolves. He greeted them in much the same way, getting similar responses. This continued for the next hour or so, until everyone was seated for the dinner.

"Good evening. I am Anash Chanta, founder and CEO of the Chanta Foundation. I hope you're all enjoying your evening. That said, the food shall be out shortly. Of course, both Predator and Prey options are available. And again, I thank you all for the generous donations," said the tiger, who was now on a small stage. He finished speaking and sat down at a nearby table.

 _Donations,_ Nick scoffed internally _It's hardly a "Donation" to pay $10,000 for a seat,_ he thought, as he looked around the room at all the tables and seated mammals. As he passed Chanta's table, one mammal caught his eye.

 _Hmm. She's interesting._ His eyes had fallen on a younger looking female rabbit, with dark brown fur and matching eyes. _I wonder…_

* * *

Judy hopped up onto the oversized metal chair in the bullpen. She looked around at her new coworkers, barely containing her excitement. Suddenly, a hippo at the front shouted.

"Attn-hut!" All the other mammals began thumping their paws on the tables, whooping, and chanting. This confused Judy, and she saw a large water buffalo enter the room.

"Alright, that's enough. Now, I've got three items on the docket. First, we need to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Francine… Happy birthday. Number two. There are some new recruits with us I should introduce, but I'm not going to, because I don't care. Finally, we have fourteen missing mammal cases, all predators, from a giant polar bear to a teensy little otter, and City Hall is RIGHT up my tail to find 'em. This is priority number one. Assignments! Officers Grizzoli, Fangmeyer, Delgato, your teams take missing mammals from the Rain-forest District. Officers McHorn, Rhinowitz, Wolford, your teams take Sahara Square. Officers Higgins, Snarlov, Trunkaby, Tundra Town. And finally, our first bunny, Officer Hopps." said the Chief with a hint of disdain in his tone. "Normally, I'd give you parking duty." Judy's ears drooped. "But I can't, because the mayor has requested you personally for his security detail. Something about overcoming stereotypes, or some such nonsense. Dismissed."

Judy was taken aback. _The mayor requested me? Personally? Why? Is he interested in me? No, stop. Keep it professional, Judy._ She slowly got out of her chair, mulling over the reasoning. Bogo had already left the room. _Wait, where do I go to? City Hall, I guess?_

She walked to City Hall, and upon entering, saw dozens of animals milling about, yelling, talking, shouting, obviously engaged in something very important, and pressing. Judy walked up to the reception desk, and saw an elk on the phone.

"No, Mr. Chanta, I can't put you through to Mayor Wilde. He is very busy preparing a speech to respond to this scandal," said the elk. He looked over the desk, saw Judy, and wrote a note on a piece of paper, then handed it to her.

' _Go upstairs. Mayor is waiting for you. Fifth floor,'_ said the note. Judy read it and walked to the elevator.

* * *

Nick sat at his desk, phone in hand, with his other paw on his face, covering his eyes.

"No, Nikula… The rumors are false… NO. Do not come to the office, I am busy… Yes, I am writing a speech about them… No, I don't need your help," he said into the phone. He heard the door open and looked up from his paw. A grey bunny with lavender eyes, dressed in a police uniform walked in. "Nikula, I'll talk to you later. I have to go."

"Hello, Officer Hopps. How are you?" Nick asked, his tone switching from agitated to a more endearing, charming smoothness.

"I'm fine… Why did you ask for me personally?" Judy replied.

"Aha, right to the point, I see. I'm interested in you," he said, pausing for a moment before continuing.

 _He's interested in me?_ She thought, a flurry of emotions rising in her.

"You see, we have very similar stories, and I am always interested in mammals that break the mold, as I have."

 _Oh. That's what he meant. Professionally interested…Too bad.  
_

"What did you need me to do, though, Mr. Mayor?" she asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

"I'm giving a speech about this scandal, I'm sure you've read about it. Anyway, I expect a good number of protesters, and they may get violent. Many mammals are already angry that a fox is mayor, and the scandal will certainly galvanize even more hatred." he stated.

"Um. Sorry, I don't know about any scandal, and I don't think I'll be enough security for a whole crowd." Judy replied, a bit confused. Nick laughed.

"No, no, you'll be my personal security. The crowd is being handled by the ZPD in Sahara Square. Anyway, I must continue writing this speech, so go talk to my Assistant Mayor for the details of the location and such."


	2. Chapter 2

I'm back, with Chapter two. This was actually a bit difficult to write, and I'm still not entirely happy with the emotions. I know how I want them to be in my head, but I can't seem to find the right words to describe them. That said, I feel this is about as close as I'll get. Hopefully the writing is still good, even if it isn't perfect. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, my ego has been boosted significantly. As I stated before, constructive criticism is not only welcomed, but desired. Please tell me if I have made any mistakes, or if you have advice about writing in emotions better. Anyway, I digress.

Sadly, I don't own Zootopia. (If only I did; I'd be so rich...)

Okay, now that that's over, on to the story.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

 _ **FOX MAYOR CAUGHT IN TRYST WITH PREY MAMMAL**_

 _Editorial by Stephen Slothmore_

 _Yesterday evening, Mayor Nicholas Wilde was seen exiting a hotel room with one Lorraine Chanceux, a French-Zootopian rabbit. What they were doing is self evident. The fact that our mayor has such a perverse interest in prey is quite disheartening. Add to that that the mayor is in a relationship already, and it is even more unseemly._

 _Uncouth No predator should be involved in a relationship with a prey. It is unnatural, aberrant and revolting. For Zootopia's own mayor to be involved in such a revolting, unnatural relationship is abhorrent…_

Judy looked up from her phone, shocked by the article's vitriol. She looked back at the photo that accompanied the article. It was a somewhat blurry photo of a red fox in a tuxedo, without the bow tie, several buttons done wrong, exiting a hotel room, and a brown bunny poking out of the room, handing him his bow tie, a towel wrapped around her, obviously nude. Judy was even more surprised.

 _Oh my gods. He slept with a bunny?Maybe he'll sleep with me… NO. Don't think like that. Be professional!_

She entered the small room, which was marked as the office of Assistant Mayor Bellwether. She walked in and saw a diminutive sheep, about the same size as Judy.

"Oh, Hi there! I'm Assistant Mayor Bellwether, you must be Officer Judy Hopps! It's nice to meet you!" said the sheep.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm supposed to be security for the mayor, he sent me here for the specifics. I've never done anything like this before, so I don't really know what I'm doing, sorry," Judy replied.

"Well, it's pretty simple, you just follow Mayor Wilde around, make sure he isn't swarmed by journalists and what not. If anything really bad happens, you'll take him to the bunker. But that isn't very likely. Really, you just have to drive him around and make sure he can have a bit of privacy." Bellwether stated. It seemed like a very simple job. Judy knew she would rather be out solving crimes, but recognized that this was important, and at least it wasn't parking duty.

* * *

Nick sat in the back of his SUV, going over his speech. He looked out of the window and saw the amphitheater's seating beginning to fill. _My career is ending here. I guess it's better to go out with a bang…_ he chuckled at his own bad pun. _But I thought it would last longer. How unfortunate._

"Mr. Mayor?" came a soft, pleasant voice. _Judy. Such a beautiful voice. And not bad looking either… No, stop. That kind of thinking is what got me into this mess to begin with, and I didn't even get that same feeling with Chanceux that I get around Judy. My career is over because of it, and I didn't even get what I was looking for._

"Yes, Officer Hopps?" Nick asked immediately, then looking up. As he looked into her eyes, he felt the tension in his muscles relax. _You know, maybe my career ending wouldn't be that bad… I could be with Judy without fearing the consequences,_ he thought. Then a small part of his brain chimed in. _No you couldn't. She would never want to be with you, a fox._

"It's time for your speech, sir," she replied, a look of concern on her face. "Are you ready? Are you okay?"

Nick closed his eyes, steeling himself for what he knew was coming. _Never let them see they get to you._

"Yup," he said, giving a soft nod and turning to look her in the eyes. His shoulders went back, his chest out, and his chin up. A playful grin came onto his lips, and he got out of the SUV quickly, walking toward the stage with large steps, smiling at the crowd, waving, and acting very sure of himself.

He climbed up the stairs to the podium, and faced the crowd. He made sure to project signs of confidence, knowing that looking weak would be a hindrance.

"Good morning, my fellow Zootopians. I have called this press conference to address the accusation leveled at me by certain news sources. This is, at it's core, yellow journalism. It is scandal-mongering in it's worst form," he stated, his mouth downturned in obvious contempt. Then his expression changed. He sighed, his shoulders slumped, and he looked down at his feet. "That said, I will admit that I did have an affair. I made a mistake, I drank too much, and I was unfaithful. That part of these accusations was, to my shame. To my dearest Nikula, I am sorry. Please, if you can find it in your heart, forgive me."

"As for the object of my affair," he continued, the remorse still in his expression, but mixed with the contempt seen earlier, "That is where the accusations become untrue. I do not know who this 'Lorraine Chanceux' is, and I most certainly did not have an affair with her. I became involved with a young vixen, not a Rabbit. I may have been unfaithful, and I truly regret that, but I would not be involved in such an inter-species relationship. I will now be taking questions."

"Who did you have an affair with?" "Why are you telling us about the affair?" "How do we know you're telling the truth?" "Are you against inter-species relationships?" "Have you had other affairs?" "How long have you been having this affair?"

"Please," Nick said. "Please, one question at a time. Did I have an affair, yes, yes I did. Who was it with? A young vixen named Amaretta Voss. Why am I telling you about the affair? Because I regret it, deeply, and I want forgiveness," he said, trying to answer all of the journalists' questions.

* * *

Three sheep dressed as wolves walked into the amphitheater. All three wore black trench coats, turtlenecks, and baseball caps. They exchanged glances, and split up to spread throughout the crowd. They waited for the mayor to begin taking questions, and after he had answered several, they reached into their coats, and pulled out automatic rifles, firing on the crowd. After spending their magazines, and having killed several dozen mammals, they ran for the back exit, where a van waited for them.

* * *

Judy was scanning the crowd, looking for potential threats. She saw none, until she caught a glimpse of a group of wolves, who looked at each other, then split up and moved to equidistant parts of the amphitheater. _That's odd…_ All three were dressed rather suspiciously, and just as Nick answered his fourth question, she saw the wolves reaching into their trench coats. She saw one pulling out what looked like a rifle, something she hadn't seen since the marksmanship training at the academy, and her instincts as a police officer kicked in. She rushed to Nick, grabbing him and dragging him to the SUV, and alerting the other officers.

"What are you doing, Hopps?!" Nick asked, surprised, as they got into the SUV.

"Those wolves had guns! We need to get to the bunker," she replied, hopping into the driver's seat and starting the vehicle. As she began to drive away, she looked back, and saw mammals fleeing the amphitheater, screaming, crying, many of them with paws covering their ears, or clinging to each other. She was aghast at the open displays of terror. She turned the corner, and began the drive to the bunker.

* * *

Nick let out a breath, making sure it was quiet enough that Judy would not hear. His mouth felt dry, and for some reason his muscles lost all tension. _Your scandal will be secondary news after this! Thank the gods! Why did I just think that? That's horrible. People died, and I'm thinking of myself? What is wrong with me?_ Nick rubbed his neck, feeling conflicted about his sadness about the victims, his curiosity about the attackers, and his relief that the scandal would be buried by the attack. He shut his eyes and grimaced, internalizing his confliction as much as he could. Before he knew it, the SUV stopped, the door opened, and Judy was dragging him to the mayoral bunker. Just before he entered, he looked around. He had never been here before. It was a silo in the meadowlands district, in a large empty field. The SUV was parked in a nearby barn, and a dirt road lead away from the buildings.

They entered the silo, and saw that instead of an empty tube, it was a room with a spiral staircase going down.

"Huh. I've never been here before. Looks a bit different that I expected," said Nick, as he began going down the staircase. It felt like they were walking down the stars for fifteen minutes or so, and when he looked up, he could no longer see the entrance. They got to the bottom of the staircase, and saw a large pressure door, similar to what one might see on a submarine. It had a round valve in the center, and he began to turn it. The door made a loud hissing noise, then opened. Behind it was a long concrete hallway. The walls and ceiling were painted white, and the floor was unpainted, save for two yellow lines and inch from the walls, and a line of yellow arrows down the center.

Judy and Nick followed the arrows, and went through several more pressurized doors, these requiring identification in the form of eye scanning, paw prints, and even DNA. Finally, they opened the last door and entered a large room. Both Judy and Nick were awed by it's size and opulence. The floor was grey marble, with black marble trimming and columns rising to the ceiling, which was easily thirty feet up. A large staircase, also marble, rose from the center of the room, went to the back wall, and curved back around, leading to a second floor. On the landing of the staircase was a large mahogany grandfather clock. Around the columns and walls stood porcelain and marble statues, of lions, tigers, and bears. There were several large black wood doors on the sides of the room, and on the back wall, on either side of the staircase, were two hallways, equally opulent, that led back to a large modern kitchen, a home theater, a full sized gymnasium, and even a bowling alley. Upstairs, there were several suites of bedrooms, easily enough to fit several large families. The bunker even dwarfed Judy's childhood home in size, and she had grown up with several hundred siblings.

"Wow," said Nick, astonished. He felt his blood rushing, his eyes wide in utter amazement. "I knew Lionheart was corrupt, but this… this is truly palatial. And to think it was built with taxpayer money."

* * *

Nick sat in the sumptuous bunker's study, after having explored the place. Even after several hours, he still felt as if he hadn't seen everything. He had retreated to the study to think, and to get away from Judy. His astonishment, confliction, and relief might lead him to do something he would regret. He leaned back in the green leather armchair he was in, and stared at the crackling fireplace. The wooden logs atop the marble and granite hearth, surrounded by more marble, with mahogany accenting the outside of the mantle. He looked up a bit, seeing the bookcases surrounding the fireplace, with many leather bound books, and green felt backing. It reminded him of something one would see on Deerton Abbey.

"Nick?" asked Judy, who had just walked into the library and saw Nick transfixed by the fireplace.

"Huh? Oh, hello. What do you need?" Nick responded after being jolted from his thoughts.

"I made some food, if you're hungry." Judy said. _See, Judy, already cooking him dinner. You could at least ask him if he's interested,_ her mind suggested. _No! He's in a relationship already, and he just condemned Inter-species relationships at the press conference. Besides, I'm working. That would be unprofessional._


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, guys. Sorry this took so long and is so short, but I just moved and started University, So I haven't had much time to write. Also, the weather here is horrid. I have to walk in the literally freezing temperature to get to the University since I live off campus, and I have to walk to the post office, which is like 2 miles away, to get my mail because they don't have the key to my building and I'm not at my apartment when they deliver it. But enough about me, onto the story. Hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: There is a made up religion that plays a semi-major role in the next few chapters. It is based on a real religion, as are the politics surrounding it. The political views in this chapter are not necessarily mine.

Also, I don't own Zootopia.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE**

Nick and Judy sat at the dining hall's table, which was vastly oversized, and could probably fit twenty mammals. They sat on one end, across from one another, and ate. Judy had made herself a salad, with romaine and red leaf lettuce, spinach, peppers, olives, and a generous helping of croutons. Nick, on the other paw, had a piece of salmon, cooked unbelievably well.

"This salmon is really good, where did you learn to cook for predators?" Nick asked.

"Oh, there was a recipe book in the kitchen. I guess I made it right. I'm, um, glad… that you liked it," she replied, seeming timid. "Hey, um, during that press conference, you said you were… against inter-species relationships. Don't you like to claim that you're opposed to speciesism?" she finished, looking down at her plate and twisting her fork around in the salad, while rubbing her forearm with the other paw.

Nick chuckled. "I did say that, didn't I? Well, truth be told, and I'm only telling you this because I think I can trust you…" she looked up, her gaze meeting his, and he felt an almost… electric tingling feeling throughout his body. "I lied about that. I'm not really against inter-species relationships."

"Were you lying about the affair too? Did you really sleep with a bunny?" Judy blurted out,her voice a bit higher pitched, her eyes widening even further. _Oh god. I hope he didn't hear my excitement there._ She sat there, completely still, waiting for his answer.

Nick stared at her for a moment, surprised at how forward she was. And what was that he heard in her voice? Hopefulness? He took a moment to think. _Should I tell her the truth? What will she think?_ He swallowed, preparing himself.

"Yes," he hesitated. "I did lie about that. But…" he stammered, but quickly regained his composure. "I was telling the truth when I said I regret it."

"Why?" Judy blurted again, before chastising herself. Why couldn't she control herself around him?

"Because," he continued, deciding to be entirely honest with her. "I didn't get the same feeling."

"The same feeling as what?" asked Judy, this time more deliberately.

"The feeling that I can't form a coherent sentence, the feeling of my pulse racing, my heart pounding in my chest. The feeling that I get when I'm around you."

Judy's eyes bulged, her mouth falling open. _What? He gets that feeling around ME? Why? What does that mean? Does it mean he's interested in me too?_

"W- what?" Judy stammered, her voice having risen in pitch.

"The feeling I get when I'm around you, Judy. I'm interested in you, and I know I've probably terrified you, and that you probably don't feel the same way, but I just can't lie to you. I don't know why, but I just can't bring myself to." Nick replied, looking directly into Judy's eyes. She saw the sincerity in his viridescent orbs.

Judy stood up from the chair, keeping her gaze on him, and walked around the table. She finished her journey, hesitated for a moment, then leaned up to him and planted her lips on his.

* * *

"Oh my! How perfect," exclaimed the diminutive sheep as she watched the security camera footage from the bunker's dining hall. Bellwether had known about the mayor's attraction to prey animals, and had leaked the photo of him with the rabbit, but had no idea that this was the reason for his affair. He had been able to play off the photo as having been edited, but this video, this would be enough to destroy him. Probably enough to get him impeached for lying under oath. This hadn't been part of her plan, but she was more than willing to run with it. But she would have to wait to leak this video. The terrorist attack she had staged would overshadow this piece of news if she leaked it now. Besides, she needed to stir up fears of predators even more. Maybe another attack, or perhaps more night howler induced savagery. She would certainly need to decide.

* * *

Nick's eyes opened slowly. He felt wonderful in the large, comfortable bed. He turned his head to look for a clock. He saw one, which read 5:20 am. _Wow, I'm up early. I guess I can go back to sleep._ He turned onto his side, and hit a warm grey ball. _What is thi- Oh. Judy._ A smile crept onto his lips. He began to remember the events of the previous night, and his smile just kept growing. He wrapped his arm around her, and quickly fell back asleep.

* * *

"Wake up!" Judy said, poking Nick in the chest. She had woken up at 6:00, which was much later than she usually woke, and as she had been getting dressed, she received a phone call from the chief. He had told her that it was safe for the mayor to come out of the bunker.

"Unh… why?" Nick grunted, eyes still shut. Judy snickered at his reaction.

"It's time to leave. Come on!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm and dragging him from the bed. She threw him his suit and hopped out of the room. Nick groaned and began dressing.

A few minutes later, they emerged from the bunker, and to their surprise, saw no one. No reporters, no journalists, not even any police cars.

"Huh. I was expecting a crowd. I guess the bunker's location is secret," mused Nick. He and Judy then walked to the barn, and got into the SUV that had been parked there since they arrived. Judy started the car, and began driving to the city center.

* * *

"So…" Nick said after a couple minutes of silence. "About last night, what exactly was that?"

 _Fun._ Judy's mind thought immediately. She snickered internally. _Seriously though, what was it? Was it just a one time thing? Or is it more? An affair? A relationship?_ She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Uh… I don't know." she finally said aloud, after mulling it over in her head for a while.

"Well," Nick said, and hesitated before continuing. "I certainly enjoyed it. I wouldn't say no to doing it again. Of course, if you don't want to, that's... fine."

"No, I'd like to keep- What is going on?" Judy replied, narrowing her eyes. Nick looked forward and saw a very large crowd of animals outside a large church-like building.

* * *

Hundreds of animals stood about, waving signs, yelling, throwing rocks and bottles at the church, some brandishing weapons such as tasers, knives, axes, shovels, and the like. Inside the church, a group of about fifteen wolves, several of which were children, cowering, crying, praying, and huddling together.

"Do not worry, my children," an elderly wolf in a white and gold robe and matching hat said, looking at his congregation. "The mammals outside do not hate us, they are merely afraid, just as we are. Do not become angry at them, I beg of you, for it will only lead to hatred, and as we know, Akela says in the canavar, hatred is one of the tenets of sin. To hate is to disappoint Akela, and to disappoint Akela is to sin."

One of the children stood up, a young teenage she-wolf. She wore a red dress covering everything but her face, in keeping with the more fundamentalist aspects of the Canavari religion.

"My child, do you have something to say?" asked the older wolf. She did not respond, but instead just walked to the doors of the church, and out.

* * *

Judy pulled over the car and as they were about to get out to see what was going on, they saw the crowd become far more animated, the police surrounding them raising their tasers and dart rifles. Then, a white flash temporarily blinded both of them.

* * *

The doors of the church opened, and the young she-wolf emerged. The mammals in the front of the crowd began throwing their rocks and bottles at her, some hitting her, others not. She kept walking, into the center of the crowd, still silent, and upon reaching it, shouted.

"Akela Antar!" she exclaimed, then clicked the button in her paw, triggering the explosive vest she was clad in.

Almost the entire crowd was engulfed in the blast, and of those who weren't, many were killed by the shockwave, flames, or shrapnel. The wolves in the church, as well as Nick and Judy looked in horror at the scene, minds trying desperately to wrap themselves around the fact that they just witnessed the greatest act of terror in the history of Zootopia.

* * *

"Peter, what are your views on this seemingly new, radical branch of the Canavari faith?" asked the female snow leopard.

"Well, Fabienne, I think that it is very shocking that there seems to be an organized network of these terrorists, yet the ZPD claims to have no knowledge of them. Furthermore, with more and more wolves, and specifically Canavari Wolves, moving to Zootopia from Lupenon and other nations with heavy wolf populations, one has to wonder, how many of them are going to commit such attacks?" Moosebridge responded.

"Indeed. Some citizens even say we should outright ban the Canavari from immigrating, or if we do let them in, we should have a registry, and track them. We have the Mayor, Nicholas Wilde, here for an interview on the subject, and we'll be right back with that after this short break. Until then, I'm Fabienne Growley, ZNN, signing off."


	4. Chapter 4

Hey. I'm back with another chapter already. The problems are piling on for Zootopia. Missing mammals and savagery, This religious fundamentalist group, Fear, hatred... What will happen next?

Still don't own Zootopia.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

"So, Mayor Wilde, with the influx of Canavari, and your own party calling for a Canavari Registry, or even an outright immigration ban, what do you plan on doing?" asked Fabienne Growley.

"Well, Fabienne, I, unlike most of my party, do not believe in persecuting any mammals, be it for their species, politics, or religion. I see those elements of my party as an abhorrent, vocal minority, and I'd like to think that the silent majority within my party believes in Equality, justice, and religious freedom."

"So would you say you are against speciesism?" she continued.

"Am I against speciesism? Yes, yes I am," Nick replied.

"So, then, why did you say in your press conference several days ago that, quote, 'I may have been unfaithful, and I truly regret that, but I would not be involved in such an interspecies relationship.' Is that not a speciesist comment, to say you would never be in a relationship with a rabbit?" Fabienne shot back, hoping to catch the mayor in a trap.

Nick crossed his legs, and felt his mouth go dry. _I really should have thought harder before I said that… Should I walk back the comment, or should I double down?_ His eyes darted to Fabienne, then to the cameraman, then to the studio audience, and Judy, standing by the door.

"I… I will admit that I'm not perfect, and I do occasionally have speciesist thoughts. Everyone does, to some extent. I try my hardest to avoid thinking them, but every so often, when I am experiencing strong emotions, such as, in the case of that press conference, regret, I can't filter myself as well as normal. I regret saying what I said, but that doesn't change the fact that I said it. I apologize. Now, I think that this is an important apology, and I don't mean to detract from it in any way, but I think we should discuss a more important matter.

Namely, I'd like to address the city, and say that though the recent attacks are awful, and there is no excuse for them, there is also no excuse for persecuting the Canavari people, because they aren't all responsible."

* * *

Dawn Bellwether sat in her apartment, watching the television, seething. Not only had Wilde avoided the trap Growley had lain, he was promoting a message of tolerance. This was unacceptable. She needed to do something.

As she tried to think of what to do, her cell phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw Woolter was calling her. She hit the answer button.

"What?" she spat out, still angry about the mayor.

"Well, Ma'am, Emmett Otterton, the otter we've been buying the Night Howlers from, is going to tell Mr. Big about our plans. What should we do?"

"WHAT?!" She screamed into the phone, her fist clenching around it, threatening to crack the screen.

"Emmett Otterton, the ott-"

"I know what you said, imbecile. Have Doug deal with him. Now."

* * *

"That was a good interview, Nick," Judy said as they walked to the SUV parked outside.

They walked to the vehicle, and just as they were about to get it, Judy was shocked to see a snow-white vixen walk out from behind it, step up to Nick, and slap him in the face, and Judy reached for her baton, but Nick spoke.

"Nikula. I deserved that. I'm sorry."

"You want sleep with other fox, fine. We are done. Find someone else you flaunt to public," the arctic fox, Nikula, said, before spitting in Nick's face and walking away.

Nick stood there, astonished, then, when the fox had turned the corner, let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally," he said, then got in the SUV.

 _Finally what?_ Thought Judy, as she walked to the driver's side door and got in.

"Take me to my apartment. I need to find out what she took."

* * *

Judy stood in the living room, somewhat surprised at how simple Nick's apartment was compared to the bunker. It was in a decent neighborhood, but the building was pretty old, and had seen better days. She had even seen a cockroach climbing a wall near one of the apartment's door frame.

Inside, Nick's apartment was decently sized, much larger than hers, at least, but nowhere near the grandiloquent size of the bunker. It had an average sized living room, with a few oil paintings hung on the orange walls, which Nick had explained were done by his Father's aunt, a light grey, victorian styled couch, which he had bragged about getting for $50 at a local thrift store, a small flatscreen TV, mounted to a dresser with a piece of plywood, obviously something Nick had done himself. Between the couch and TV was a coffee table on top of a small purrsian rug. Beyond those were two desks, one up against a wall, with a medium sized desktop computer, which looked rather old, and another, the back facing the room, allowing Nick to look at his guests while he sat behind the desk. It had a black desk pad taking up most of the surface, with an old brass desk lamp on one side and an antique wooden globe on the other. In front of the pad was one of those long desk pens in a stand, and several ornate ink bottles. It looked as if the desk was the centerpiece of the room, as if it was where Nick chose to spend most of his time.

Judy felt a bit of curiosity about the rest of the apartment, and walked into the room adjacent to the Living room. As she walked past the door, she saw an odd looking symbol on a wooden shield-shaped piece. It was black, with orange and green carvings around the edge, and a yellow trident shape in the center.

 _Huh… I wonder what that is._ Judy thought, before continuing into the next room. It was a very small dining room, with a table and some chairs, that led into the kitchen, which was obviously old and covered in a very thick layer of white paint. A small counter was occupied by a Microwave, Toaster, and cutting board.

She left the room, curious to check out the rest of Nick's apartment, and walked through the closet/hallway to the Bedroom. She saw Nick sitting on the bed, holding an empty display box. He was looking at it, seeming very sad.

"Are you okay, Nick?" she asked, noting that he didn't look up, or even seem to notice her. Just as she was about to ask again, he spoke.

"She took my dad's watch. That was all I had left of him. I could care less about the money, or any of the valuables she took. That watch was all I cared about here.

Judy found herself breathing a bit heavily, her nostrils flaring. _How dare she take that. How dare she hurt Nick._ She was surprised by her own anger. She would find that fox, and get back the watch.

"Don't worry, I'll get it back for you," she said, and stormed out of the room.

Nick looked up, a bit surprised, and a smile came onto his face. He had never had anyone offer to help him like that, without expecting anything in return.

* * *

Nikula sat on the bench, crying. She had never loved anyone before, and she felt as if she'd been run over by a train. How could her Nick do this, cheating on her. What was wrong with her? Was she too old? Was it because she was an immigrant? She pulled out the bag of things she had taken from their apartment. She pulled out a tie, grasping it tightly in her paws, sobbing. She was so absorbed in her sorrow that she didn't see the grey rabbit in a police uniform walk up to her and sit down.

"Miss Viviankoff?" asked the rabbit, pulling her out of her own mind.

"What you need, officer?" she responded, then recognized the officer. "Hey, you are that bunny drives Nick around. Why he send you here?"

"He didn't, Miss Viviankoff. I actually volunteered to come get his father's watch. I saw you crying. What's wrong?" Judy said, feeling a bit sorry about her outrage at the fox earlier.

"I… it is just very sad. You have ever loved someone just for them betray to you? I am feeling this for Nick. He does not love me but I him. You say you are here for his father's watch?"

"Yeah. He, uh… He says it's all he has left of his dad." Judy replied, feeling guilty about coming to confront the mourning vixen. _She just took the stuff because she wanted to remember Nick. It's actually really sad to see her like this…_ "Don't worry, Nikula. It'll be okay," she continued, patting the fox on the back, and she was pulled into a hug from the vixen.

"Thank you. I am happy you can understand. I am glad for this. You can have the watch, I don't want to hurt Nick, I just wanted to remember him.

* * *

Two older wolves sat in the dingy apartment, the floor covered in several purrsian rugs, Canavari prayer mats, and a few boxes around the walls. Green wooden crates, filled with explosives, rifles, handguns, knives, armor, and other military items.

"So. Where are we going to attack? I am dying to spread terror and kill many Nophiri." said one of the wolves.

"You know we cannot kill any non Canavari people until Doyen calls us." responded the other.

"Yes, yes, but why? Why should we only attack those who Doyen says we should? Would it not spread more fear to have constant attacks? Would it not bring justice to more Nophiri?" asked the first, when a laptop buzzed. A prompt to accept a video call from Doyen was on it. They answered.

Dawn sat there, dressed in a wolf outfit, and dressed in a fundamentalist Canavari Headdress, covering all but her false face. She clicked the call button on the computer, and quickly checked to make sure the background was good, and looked like an apartment in Lupenon. Finally, the call was answered.

"Akela Antar. Mahmoud, Faris, how are you?" she asked, in a very thick Lupenese accent. "How goes the spread of the Canavari Caliphate?"

"What do you mean? We do not act to spread it except on your orders," said the second wolf, and the first chimed in.

"Yes. Faris has a good point. We do not. I think we should. Constant attacks would be more effective at spreading the Caliphate," he said, then got up, grabbed a handgun, and stuffed it in his belt. "I am going to get another faithful Canavari to sacrifice himself to kill more Nophiri!"

And with that, he walked out of the dingy apartment.

* * *

Nick sat on the couch of his apartment, watching the TV, changing the channels slowly, when Judy walked in, tossing him his father's watch. He looked down at it, then up at Judy, and smiled. _She really was willing to go do this for me. Wow._

"Breaking News. Yet another Canavari terrorist attack tears apart the city, marking the seventh such attack this week. This time, a young timberwolf by the name of Rahat Rashid Wollefo detonated a suicide vest on a passenger train near the Olive street station in Sahara Square. It is estimated that thirteen are dead, and a further twenty one wounded. More information later. Until then, I'm Peter Moosebridge, ZNN."

Judy and nick both looked at the TV. _What is going on?_

* * *

Things are gearing up... Anyway, So while I was reading another fanfiction, I got an idea, and I started making a cover photo for it. I'm interested to know what you guys think of the cover. Bonus points if you can guess what its an homage to.

/gallery/ju3ap


End file.
